The Last Laugh
by CherryBlossomDexia
Summary: When laughter is discovered to be ten times more powerful than scream, it seemed that Monstropolis's energy shortage had finally come to an end. But this revolutionary change comes with consequences for thousands of scarers who had made a living out of what they do. Some are willing to go as far as getting revenge on the great James P. Sullivan for what he had done to the industry.
1. Chapter 1

Paperwork, meetings, conferences. That's what his life had become. A never ending circle of things, frankly, he didn't give a damn about. But when you discover that laughter is ten times more powerful than scream there isn't a fall back.

It was a rough year for the new CEO. Monsters were slow to come around to the idea of making children laugh. They had evolved to scare, acting a fool didn't come too easy. Superstitions and fear still ran high, many still believed that children were highly toxic. He heard stories of how Jim or Angela were struck down by a child's touch. The names changed every week but the story was always the same. Any tactic to oppose his idea was used.

"Mr. Sullivan?"

"Huh?"

Sulley was snapped out of his thoughts. He looked around at the many faces staring back at him. Some in shock, some in disgust. He realised he was slumped in his chair, his tongue sticking out from mind numbing boredom.

The furry, blue monster righted himself and fixed his red and orange tie. He cleared his throat and composed himself.

"Uh, sorry about that."

"As I was saying…I think we should have at least one scare floor. That way we can appease our older workers and the public. We need to keep this factory out of the media's eye."

"Absolutely not!"

Sulley's voice caused the table to vibrate, his deep voice was usually soft and casual but now carried authority and stern. Every eye fell upon him and there was a hushed silence.

"There will be no scare floors in my factory. I don't care what anyone has to say! I've proven that laughter is more effective. Why would we regress back to a system that doesn't work anymore?!"

"There are scarers losing jobs here and in other factories Mr. Sullivan."

Sulley sighed. Yes, he regretted that. He offered all scarers in his factory new positions once he took over. Many left, some angry. He would always have a door open for his comrades if they ever wished to return. He held no grudges to any of them. Scaring was a big industry and for it to die so suddenly was a shock to all.

"Scaring is a dead industry and it was dying for a long time. I've given my scarers opportunities but I can't help what other factories are doing. I'm sorry but this isn't up for discussion."

He had heard that the rival companies, Fear Co. and Scream Ind. were changing to laugh energy and that they had let many of their scarers go. He heard the outcry and the insults to his name. Sometimes he wished he could show them just how terrifying they were to little, innocent children. Just how he saw himself when he terrified Boo. That day changed everything. He knew it was for the better but sometimes the stress of it all got too much.

"Is there anything else?" he asked as his sapphire eyes examined the occupants of the room.

"No sir."

"That's everything."

"Good," the polka dotted being stood and pressed his claws out on the polished wood table, "that'll be all."

He watched as they scuffled, shuffled and shimmied out the door. He listened to the inaudible whispers and sighed. No doubt some unkind words directed at him. If the stress of the job didn't kill him, the knife in his back will.

"Sulley?"

Once again, he was snapped out of his thoughts and his attention was dragged to the doorway. A smile drew across his blue lips as his eyes fell upon the small, green, one-eyed monster.

"Hey Mike."

"Geez Sulley, you have seen better days pal."

The smile vanished.

"Did you seriously come up here to mock me?"

"No of course not. I'm worried about you buddy. I never see you around anymore. You're home late and you leave early, every day. This can't be good for you."

It was true. Mike was usually in bed or staying at Celia's by the time he got home at night and he was up and gone before the sun even rose. His shoulders slumped. He was even starting to miss their Saturday night charades.

"So I have decided," the cyclops grinned and puffed out proudly, "tonight we are heading out to a bar. Grab some food, have some drinks and just relax. Talk like we used to and I'm not taking no for an answer!"

Sulley saddened. He hated blowing off his friend but he just didn't have the time for it.

"Mike I-."

"I don't want to hear it! You've been working nonstop for the past month. Look at you! I'm starting to see white hairs in that shag pile you call a body."

"Mike I'd love to but I just don't have the time."

"Not even for your best friend?"

Sulley stopped and looked down at him. Mike's eye was wide and his mouth slightly ajar as he awaited the verdict. How could he say no to that face? Mike tried so hard to look out for him and every time he brushed him off. Not again.

Sulley smiled and admitted defeat, "alright. Only one beer though."

"That's the spirit!"

Mike bubbled back to life.

"Seven o'clock. At the main entrance. Do NOT be late!"

Sulley chuckled as he watched his friend leave with a spring in his step. At least he had something to look forward to. The paperwork could wait.

Elijah Monroe was a twenty-five-year-old man. He was of slim build but stocky around his chest with light brown hair and a stubble to match. His green eyes stared up at the moon as it rose over the city skyline. His apartment was in darkness but the streetlights illuminated the many sheets of paper scattered around the front room. Some were handwritten notes and others longer pieces of written material, while others were drawings of a huge blue monster with purple polka dots and large, jutting incisors from its under bite jaw.

He could never get that creature out of his mind. Every once in a while, when he was a child, he would awake to a hot breath on his skin. He knew straight away what it was and it made his heart leap into his mouth, the blood drain from his veins. It's bellow would shake him to the core and sometimes, even made him wet himself. Sleep didn't come easy to Elijah as he grew. He knew he wasn't crazy as the other kids would speak of the same thing. Creatures emerging from their closets to terrify them. They all suffered in silence as their parents never believed them. For him it was worse. He was scolded for wetting the bed and told he was dreaming of this monster but when he didn't let it go as he grew he was sent off to be evaluated. The scaring stopped many years ago and now he was free of the drug-filled stupor the hospital liked to keep him in. He could think clearly again and yet, that monster never left his mind. He had to find it and he had to have his revenge on it for taking away his youth. He wouldn't stop until he got what he deserved.


	2. Chapter 2

"I've gotta say Mike, I'm really glad you dragged me out tonight."

"It's about time you let your fur down Sull."

Mike led the tipsy monster into their apartment, his large hand resting on his head. It was nearly two o'clock in the morning and neither felt the time go by. So much for that one drink.

"Well buddy, I better call it a night. Another wonderful day as CEO awaits me tomorrow."

Sulley righted himself and trudged across the wooden floor, his tail dragging behind him. He leaned on the door frame as he cracked open his bedroom door and slipped inside.

Mike watched carefully. Sulley wasn't going in tomorrow and he would make sure of it. He needed a day to rest. He heard the creak of the bed as Sulley laid down and waited. Soon the snoring started and Mike picked the opportunity to move in.

The door was still open, no doubt Sulley just flopped into bed. Sure enough, the large, furry silhouette of the sleeping beast was visible.

Smaller and lighter, Mike had no problem creeping across the floor boards. He had to go around the bed to the nightstand closest to the window. There the alarm clock lay, a small red light beside the time indicating that the alarm was on. Not today. Mike knelt down by the wall and pulled the plug out of its socket. The red neon lights were no more.

Sulley would be furious in the morning but later, he would thank him. Mike righted himself and dusted off his knees before silently creeping out.

Eyes flickered open and light flooded in. Odd. Why was it light? Why wasn't the alarm going off? What time was it?

Sulley gazed over at his clock and frowned, a black face. Sapphire eyes widened to the realisation of what was happening. He had slept in. He let out a yelp of shock as he threw himself out of bed. His head pounded from the antics of last night and his stomach churned. He was regretting his decision to go out.

"One hundred scarers were let go in Scream Industries yesterday sparking unrest in the city centre as angry individuals gathered to voice their disgust of their treatment," the news reporter shuffled his papers as he read the latest story gripping Monstropolis.

Sulley rushed passed the television with a piece of burnt toast hanging from his mouth as he tried to gather himself together. His heavy footsteps thumped across the wooden floors of the apartment. He ducked down to avoid the metal beam that was embellished in spikes and spines, to get to his room.

"Tie, tie, tie…"

The large monster opened his closet door and peeked inside. It was empty apart from the odd box here and there. Two hangers hung on the rail and neither was adorned by an item of clothing. Where was his tie?

"Hmm?"

He glanced back out onto the room, he spotted a piece of yellow cloth laying behind his nightstand.

"There you are."

Sulley walked over and knelt down to retrieve the tie, as he grabbed it, it revealed the plug of his alarm clock. It lay on the floor; it had been pulled out.

"What?"

His large paw grabbed it and he stared at it. So the power didn't go out. Someone deliberately pulled it out and it certainly wasn't him. He glared, large dark eyebrows dropping as he did.

"Mike, I'm going to kill you."

The rain fell from the black sky. The lights of the city illuminated the gathering puddles revealing a mirrored world. Ripples flowed from the epicentre, as if someone had stepped in it, yet, the owner was nowhere to be seen. Not to the naked eye at least.

Randall looked up at the towering apartments on either side of him. He spotted an open window on the fourth floor. Perhaps a child was present in the apartment. If so, all he had to do is wait until the closet door became active and he could slip back into the monster world, back home. It had been too long. He thought of his family, his sister and his nephew, the last remaining members of his kin. He knew they would worry but did they know what he had done? Most likely. He would be a wanted monster. He didn't care. He just wanted to be rid of the human world.

The lizard like monster began to climb up the access ladders that clung to the side of the brick building, his body twisting and turning with the winding structure. He was careful as he passed windows, he couldn't be seen by any humans.

Finally, he reached the window and camouflaged himself as he slipped in, pads silent on the wooden floor. The living room was cold and dark. Paper was scattered everywhere. Randall's squinted eyes scanned the dark apartment, three doors, one of them might have a child within.

He took a step forward and heard a crumpling under his toes. Randall looked down to look at the paper underfoot. He frowned at the picture, a big, blue and purple polka dotted monster.

"Sullivan..."

Suddenly, Randall was grabbed by the neck. The shock of it made him drop his camouflage, revealing himself to his attacker. Elijah glared at the intruding monster as he wriggled in his grasp.

"What are you doing in here?!"

"Release me!" Randall bared a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, warning the human of what he could do with them.

Elijah didn't even blink. He wasn't afraid, not anymore.

"You know the monster in the picture."

"So?"

"Then you can help me."

"And why would I help you human!?"

"You want to live to see another day?"

Randall frowned. He stopped fighting and watched the human carefully with his beady eyes.

"What do you want?"

"You said his name is Sullivan?"

"James P. Sullivan yeah."

"Really? James? His name is James? What's your name?"

"...Randall," he gritted his teeth. This was beyond a joke.

Elijah frowned, he never thought the monsters would have such human names. Made them seem somewhat normal. They weren't of course but still, it caught him off guard.

"How do you know him?"

"He was a rival of mine and he's the reason I'm stuck in this world. Can you put me down?! This is very uncomfortable!"

Randall squirmed a little but the rough handed human kept a tight grip on him.

Elijah ignored his request.

"And why would he be the reason you're here?"

The lizard monster had to be careful with his words. It was evident that this human had issues. Probably one of Sullivan's kids when they started working on the scare floor.

"He doesn't like to be challenged. He threw me through a door and destroyed it. He's obsessed with the scare record."

Elijah frowned.

"You're going to help me get to him. I'm sure you'd be happy to get some revenge."

He would, he dreamed of revenge on that fur ball. Sullivan destroyed his life. He should have throttled him harder, ensured he took his last breath.

"Fine. I'll help you. Help me get back to the monster world and I'll see Sullivan is delivered to you."

Elijah grinned and set Randall down who rubbed his neck. He was one step closer to getting his revenge. He would never get his childhood back, but this alternative would keep him satisfied.


End file.
